SFNL: Lyndale coach Brendon Groenendyk kicked 13.4 to steer the Pumas to their biggest win of 2024

Lyndale recorded its biggest win of the Southern league season after playing coach Brendon Groenendyk fired off a huge haul. He speaks about the busy day and what the side took out of successive defeats prior.

Brendon Groenendyk (L) with his best-afield medal.

It was a day out for Lyndale and its playing coach Brendon Groenendyk.

Groenendyk fired off 13.4 – including nine in the first half – in the Pumas’ powerful win over Doveton Eagles.

Groenendyk has moved forward this year out of necessity and he has taken to the role swimmingly.

“We haven’t kicked as well as we did this week (all year), all of the kicks were put out in front – it was just brilliant,” he said.

“I don’t usually play forward, I went down there because our full forward got injured and I am big-bodied, which is what you need in Division 4.

“Without the team working together and opening up that space, sacrificing their game, I wouldn’t have been able to kick 13.”

The monstrous 147-point win comes after back-to-back losses to Hallam and Hampton – the two sides above the Pumas on the ladder.

Groenendyk quickly dismissed those performances as disappointing, saying the improvement was obvious.

“I don’t think it was disappointing at all, we’ve took a lot out of those two weeks,” he said.

“It was wet footy and all that but to keep Hampton to their lowest score all year and only lose by 20 points and then Hallam it was basically the first 14 minutes that cost us the game.

“I think the biggest think we’ve focused on this year is to find the positives out of negatives.

“We’ve been in bottom two for 10 years, so it’s just about improvement.

“That’s what this year was about, improve and build a foundation that we can work with, I don’t think anyone expected to be where we are.

“We’ve been underdogs from day 1, it only gives you drive.”

Brendon Groenendyk (L) with his best-afield medal.

Harkireth Calais, Corey Reeves, Anthony Craddock, Rory Naylor and Lachlan McKenzie were alongside Groenendyk as the Pumas’ best while David Velardo played his 350th senior match.

As for Groenendyk’s haul, it was just one shy of the club record of 14 and he has his suspicions the figure filtered through the group.

“I don’t know for sure if they knew but they definitely weren’t looking for me in the last quarter,” he joked.